Philip g



(No Model.)

P. G. RUSSELL.

STOP MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS AND WATCHES.

C No. 298,313. Patented May 6 1884.

' UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP G. RUSSELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STOP MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS AND WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 298,313, dated May 6,1884.

Application filed December 31, 1883. (No model.)

Figurel shows a plan view of a clock-movement with my stop deviceapplied thereto; Fig. 2, asimilar view ofa portion of a movement with amodified form of stop mechanism; Fig. 3, a plan View of a watch-movementwith the I 5 stop mechanism like that shown in Fig. 1; Fig.

4, a detail view, in side elevation, of thestop mechanism shown in Fig.1; Fig. 5, a similar view of that shown in Fig. 2, and Figs. 6,7, 8, and9 similar views of modified forms of my invention.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved stop mechanism forclocks and watches, and to this end it consists in the construction,arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, andmore specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A designates the clockmovement of the ordinarylever-escapement form, and B itsinclosing-case, which can be 0 of anydesired shape, size, and material.- The movement need not be describedherein,as the only change made in any of its parts is in the form of theouter end of the escape or balance lever 0. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4,this lever is formed at or near its outer end with a wedgeshaped piece,D, on its upper face, the sharp edge of the wedge being uppermost. Theline of this edge is parallel with the face of the lever and issubstantially parallel with the central 4o longitudinal line of thatportion of the lever upon which the wedge is formed or placed.

Upon the upper face of the distance piece or block E, upon the plate Fof the movementframe, is fastened one end of the light fiat spring G, bymeans of the screw E, passing down through the spring and block and intothe plate F. The spring is by this means supported above the plate, andis held so as to extend over said plate in a direction substan- At aboutthe middle point of the spring thescrew G is tapped therethrough,extending down nearly to the plate. The free end of the spring is forkedat H to engage the oirciunferentially-grooved upper end of the pin I,which, as shown best in Fig. 4, passes down through a hole in plate F,and at its lower is end sharp-pointed. This pin is situated directlyover the middle point of the arc of movement of the wedge-piece on thebalance-lever.

Pivoted upon the plate F, at k, is the elbowlever K, one arm, K, ofwhich extends under the spring G between the screw G and thesupporting-block E. The side of this arm toward the screw is beveled, asshown at so that when the arm is moved toward the screw its edge willpass under the end thereof, and the screw will be forced upward by theinclined side of the arm. By this action the spring will be raised atits free end, so as to pull the pin I upward. The downward movement ofthe spring and pin, when the lever-arm K is removed from under the screwG,is limited by the shoulder 1, coming in contact, with the upperface ofthe plate F. When the pin is at the limitof its downward movement, itspoint is intended to be just above the plane of the upper face of themain portion of the leverarm.

It will be observed in the drawings that the wedge-piece at its base isof the same width as the lever, so that the pin in its downward strokecannot strike directly against the lever, but only against the inclinedsides of the wedge. Undue shock and strain upon the balance-lever aretherefore prevented. A stop pin, L, is fastened in plate F to limit themovement of lever-arm K. To the other arm of 'lever K is pivotallyattached the end of the push-piece M, which can be of any shape orlength to suit any particular form or size of movement and case. It isprovided with a head, M, for convenience in pushing the piece in andpulling it out, to operate the elbowlever K.

In Figs. 2 and 5 a modified form of my step mechanism is shown. In thiscase the wedgepiece D is on the lower side or face of the escape-leverO. The spring G, carrying thepin I on the'upper portion of its free end,is attached to the under side of plate F by means of a screw, preferablyas shown at E, and eX- tends down under the escape-lever. A pin, N,extending downward from the plate, serves to limit the upward stroke ofthe spring end, so that it shall come into contact with thecscape-lever. The pin I on said spring, when the lever is not forceddownward by the means to be described, engages the wedge-piece D, asshown in Fig. 1, and already described. A short lug or pin, 0, on thespring extends up through and above the plate F. Sliding upon the latterand guided and limited in its movement by the screw P and slot P is thepushpieee R, at its end beveled underneath, as shown at It. Thispuslrpiece is of such thickness that the edge of its beveled end is in aplane above that of the end of pin 0, so that when the sliding piece ispushed in the end thereof will ride over and force down said pin, so asto press the spring downward, as shown in dotted lines in the figure.

In Fig. 3 I show my step mechanism as applied to a watch-movement. Themechanism is all substantially like that shown in Fig. 1, except that asimple straight lever, K, is used for raising the spring. Obviously, thesame form of leverand push-pieee, as shown in said figure, or thestraight push-piece, as shown in Fig. 2, can be used instead of thestraight lever.

In Fig. 6 the spring is shown as attached to the upper face of plate F.The lever-arm for forcing the spring up is shown as extending under theraised portion 01" the spring and adapted to be brought against theunder side of the inclined middle portion thereof.

I11 Fig. 7 the spring is shown as in Fig. 5, except that it has no lugor pin extending up through the plate. The beveledlever-arm K, as shownin Figs. 1 and 4:, is here arranged to come in contact with the upper inclined face of the middle part of the spring. As in the form shown inFig. 5, a stop-pin is used to protect the eseape-lever from the directcontact of the spring itself.

In Fig. 8 the spring is shown as attached to the under surface of theplate, but extending over the balance lever, which has the wedgepieee onits upper face. The device for limiting the downward throw of the freeend of the spring is in this case a hooked pin, S, with its horizontalpart extending under the spring.

In Fig. 9 I show instead of a spring a pivoted spring-pressed lever, T,and instead of having the wedge-piece on the balance or es cape lever, Ishow it as on the stop-leve1, while the pin is on the escape-lever. Thestop-lever is pivoted at T, and is drawn upward by the spring U,attached to it, and at its upper end to the screw V, tapped throughplate F, by which its stress upon the lever can be regulated at will.The device for limiting the upward throw of the lever is in this case ascrew, \V, by which the limit can be adjusted. The springs which I usein the forms shown in the other figures are all iir tended to be quitethin and light, and, if de sired, means can be provided for regulatingtheir power or stress. For instance, as in Fig. 5, a second screw can beused for such purpose.

The operation of my step mechanism is as follows: \Vhen the spring orlever is left free to bring the pin or wedge which it carries intoengagement with the wedge or pin on the escape-lever, said lever will bestopped in its vibrations, and by the action of the pin upon eitherinclined side of the wedge-piece will be forced or carried to one sideor the other of its center of motion, so that the balance spring will beput and kept under sufficient stress as long as the pin and wedge-pieceare in engagement with each other, to make certain that the movementwill start into full operation immediately upon their disengagement.

In Fig. 1 the balance lever is shown as carried to one side of itscenter of motion by the engagement of the pin on the stop-lever with thewedge-piece on the escape-lever,and in Fig. 3 as similarly carried toand held on the other side ofsuch center of motion.

This application is a division of the application filed by me July 3,1883, No. 99,891, and now pendin My stop mechanism is obviously adaptedfor all kinds of movements where an escape lever is used, whether suchmovements form or are parts of time-indicators, or are for otherpurposes, as ringing alarms, giving signals, &c.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. Incombination with a clock or watch movement, the stop device adapted toengage the end of the escape-lever and force the same to either side ofits dead-center, so as to stop the movement and put the balancespringunder sufficient stress to make certain the starting of the movementwhen the stop device is. disengaged from the escapelever,

substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the escape-lever, l1aving a portion made V-shapedin cross-section, with the stop-lever, )rovided with a stop pin adaptedto engage said V-sllaped portion of the escape-lever, sulistantially asand for the purpose described.

3. An escape-lever and stop device whose engaging portions are adaptedto cause the le ver to be carried to either side of the middle point ofits are of motion when the stop device engages said lever, substantiallyas shown and described. I

4. A11 escape-lever, in combination with a stop device adapted to engageand stop thelever in its vibrations and force it to or toward its limitof motion on either side, and means for causing said step device toengage and disengage the lever, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this31st day of December, A. I). 1883.

Il-IILII (l. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

Pnrmr F. LARNER, HENRY HAZARD.

IIO

